


Names

by Antipode



Series: I Was Lost Without You [9]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Biotic Shepard (Mass Effect), Custom Shepard (Mass Effect), F/F, Innuendo, Lesbians in Space, Mass Effect 3, Meet-Cute, No Lesbians Die, Paragon Shepard (Mass Effect), Romance, Spacer (Mass Effect), Vanguard (Mass Effect), War Hero (Mass Effect)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:34:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 724
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26735206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Antipode/pseuds/Antipode
Summary: Sybilla & Liara re-unite at the Mars Archives. Lieutenant Vega learns a thing or two.
Relationships: Female Shepard/Liara T'Soni
Series: I Was Lost Without You [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1937521
Comments: 1
Kudos: 45





	Names

**Author's Note:**

> Re-posting to re-organize a series of short vignettes in the lives of Sybilla Shepard and Liara T'Soni, spanning ME1-ME3 and including backstory & some future content. Largely told through Liara's POV.

"... I do, Shepard. Trust you, I mean." Kaidan winced, apologetically, under the withering glare of Shepard's gaze. "It's just-"

All three marines heard the shot. Each highly trained and terribly dangerous in their own capacity, finely-honed reflexes and warrior's intuition kicked in as the awkward conversation of trust and respect fell away and laid bare the iron underneath. Quickly and quietly they slipped into enfilading positions, rifles at the ready, like armored wraiths revisiting the scene of a future murder, like a wolf-pack encircling a wounded faun. They scarcely needed the hand signals Shepard flashed, could read each other's postures, thoughts, and deadly intention. More shots echoed through the motor pool, seemingly coming from above. Three sets of eyes saw the slight bulge, the denting in an air duct spanning the ceiling; heard the grunts of exertion, the metallic scraping of armored figures moving through it, heedless of stealth or guile.

The duct burst open and a figure in a white coat threw themselves out, accompanied by curses and several gunshots. Right on their heels, a pair of Cerberus troopers began to climb out, their cumbersome armor and their haste making it difficult for both soldiers to climb out at the same time.

"Let them both silhouette a little more," Shepard whispered, finger hovering over her trigger. "Just a little-"

There was an all-too-familiar discordant thrum and a bloom of dark energy blossomed at the mouth of the duct; a swirling, churning vortex of biotic energy that seized the Cerberus soldiers in an inexorable grip. Both shouted and grunted in alarm as gravity betrayed them, leaving them hanging and exposed in mid-air. Two pistol-shots whip-cracked, crisp and clear, and the soldiers fell with the liquid gurgles of mortally wounded men. Another quick volley of shots rang out, and the gurgles ceased.

_Wow, brutal_ , Kaidan thought, glancing furtively at Vega. The big marine's eyebrows were nearly to his hairline. Vega wasn't particularly familiar with the capabilities of biotics, and for a man built for and most often surrounded by violence seemed surprisingly uneasy by the display.

Shepard, however, had broken into a wide grin. She shouldered her rifle and rose, slapping down James' own gun when he swept to cover her. "Easy, Lieutenant. She's with us."

Vega glanced towards Kaiden quizzically. _She?_ he mouthed. Kaidan shrugged.

"Sybilla..? By the _Goddess!"_

A flash of blue and white scrambled towards the Commander, and Kaidan breathed a sigh of relief and recognition upon seeing the bright blue eyes and soft smile of Liara T'Soni. It had been more than two years since Kaidan had last seen her, an inconsolable shell at Commander Shepard's military funeral. He felt a twinge of shame at the memory; caught up in his own grief at the loss of his oldest and closest friend, a woman he thought off as a little sister, he'd been unable to meet the tearful gaze of her lover, and the two had barely spoken. In the intervening time Liara had barely aged a day - unsurprising for a race with a 1,000 year lifespan - but she seemed _different_ , somehow; harder, more haunted, burdened by time and troubles. The bright-eyed, bookish ingénue they'd rescued from a Prothean security curtain seemed a distant memory.

"Sybilla? Who the hell's Sybilla?" James' stage-whisper caused Kaidan to groan involuntarily.

"Commander Shepard's first name, jarhead," he said with a roll of his eyes.

Vega blinked at him. "Commander Shepard has a first name?"

Kaidan opened his mouth to retort, but snapped it shut suddenly, his cheeks coloring. _Well, one thing about Liara hasn't changed,_ he thought with a slightly embarrassed grin. The asari had her arms wrapped so tightly around Shepard's neck it was a wonder she could breathe, both murmuring things meant only for each other's ears between bouts of showering each other with tender, passionate kisses. Kaidan, dutifully studying his feet, thought about clearing his throat to remind the lovers of their situation, but couldn't bring himself to interrupt what was clearly a long-awaited reunion. He supposed an incoming Reaper fleet and a Cerberus kill-team could give them another minute or two, at least.

"Wow," Vega breathed next to him, and Kaidan had to stifle another groan. "Wow. She's... friendly. Are we, uh, next?"

"In your dreams, Lieutenant," he said dryly.

"Oh, I'll be dreaming about this, Major, don't you worry."


End file.
